Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-06
ORDINATION OF Rev. JOHN W. CHAP
MAN.


ORDINATION OF Rev. JOHN W. CHAP
MAN.
Friday, April %, the Rev. John w.
Chapman. of the diocese of New York.
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Albert Chapman of
Middlebury, was ordained to the priest
hood in St. Stephens church. The RI
Rev.W. II. A. Bissell, bishop of Vermont.
appointed the ordination in MiddIeburv
at the request of the Rt. Rev. II. &. Pot
ter, bishop of New York, and in defer
ence to the choice of the candidate, who
wished to be advanced to the priesthood
in the church where he had received "a
large portion of his early Christian train
ing and where three generations of his
family had been confirmed. The Rev. VIM.
b. Buckingham of Trinity church, Rut-
land, read morning prayer, the Rev. +.
i. Lee of West Rutland taking the les
sons. The sermon was preached by the
Rev. j. lsham Bliss, ID. D., of st. Paul's
church, Burlington. The text was taken
from the lIth and 18th verses of the xth
chapter of Romans. The sermon was IA
model in matter. style and spirit. 1t dealt
with the nature of the ministry as d.
vinely appointed office receiving its COM
mission and authority from Christ and
His apostles. 1t spoke of the duty of the
minister both as IA preacher of the gospel
of Christ, and as one divinely commits
stoned to administer the sacraments and
alluded to the proper esteem and regard
which the people ought to manifest
toward those duly authorized as ministers
of Christ and His church. When the
preacher came to the personal address to
the candidate he tOuchingly referred to
the Christian home in which from child
hood he had been nurtured. He spoke of
his personal acquaintance with him while
II student in college; and said that pecu-
liar qualifications were requisite for the
peculiar work upon which he was about
to enter rs a missionary to Alaska. At
the beginning of the sermon DR.. Bliss
mentioned the regret that he and others
felt that DR.. James Mulchahey of New
\ ork. a kin,man of Mr.. Chapman's. had
found himself unable to be present and
preach on the present occasion. and men,
toned that he had accepted the duty at
the request of those whose desire he
could not disregard.
After the sermon. Bishop Bissell pro-
ceeded with the ordination. Rev. \. +.
Carpenter presented the candidate and all
the clergy present joined the bishop in
the imposition of hands when he gave the
apostolic commission to the office and
work of priest in the church of God.
Then followed the holy communion adj
minstered by the bishop, assisted by the
rector of the church. \ pleasant feature
of the impressive service was the pres
ence of Il large number of the personal
friends of Rev. Mr.. Chapman and his
family. \ number of the faculty of Mid
dleburv college with their families were
present. including Prest. Braincrd. The
Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity of the
college attended in Il body. several seats
being reserved for them. The Rev. Mr..
j hnt N-hil., IN
, Der of this fraternity. lie was graduated
\ from Middlebury college in 1879. After
t Il few years spent in teaching, he entered
, the General Theological seminary of New
\ orli city, from which he was graduated
, in May. 1856. He was ordained to the
diaconate June g, by Bishop Henry C..
, Potter in New York, and since his ordin-
alton has been laboring in the city mis-
sions of New \ ork under the supervis-
ion of Bishop Potter. He has worked
chiefly in the hospitals and charity inst-
tutions of the great metropolis, and has
won high praise from his bishop for
faithfnlness and efficiency in the work
assigned him. Since his acceptance of
the appointment as missionary to Alaska
he mas preached acceptably in some of
the larger churches of New York city and
has received from friends a complete out
fit for the peculiar work to which he is
, called in Alaska. Kind words and en-
couraging tokens have been poured in
upon him from various quarters.
In the evening of the same day, service
was held in the church and Rev. Mr..
Chapman preached an impressive sermon
: to Il large congregation. The sermon
! was based upon the last words of our Saw
Jour before his final separation from his
disciples, go We, therefore, and teach
all nations, baptiZing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever | have commanded
: YOU; and 10, am with you. Away, even
unto the end of the world. Matt. xviii.
, 10 and 20.
After the serice in the church publicly
reception was given by the ladies of the
church to the Rev. Mr.. Chapman in the
chapel adjoining, AS he was to leave for
; New York Ell route for Alaska via san
, Francisco the next day. The chapel had
been tastefully trimmed with evergreens
for the occasion and a large number were
given an opportunity to say IA few words
. to him before his departure. The ladies
, had also provided a bountiful supply of
, refre shments. The day and evening was
one long to be remembered by all who
took part in the solemn and impressive
, services.
: More than forty young men have gone
forth from Middlebury college and ST.
Stephens church into the ministry of the
Episcopal church; two have become dis
tnguished bishops, and it is now known
that the first clergyman who ever offered
himself for the foreign missionary work
of the Protestant Episcopal church in
America was a graduate of Middlebury
college in lSl2-the Rev. Joseph X. An
drus, native of Cornwall, Vt. Only one
other besides the Rev. Mr.. Chapman has,
so far as is now known, gone beyond the
limits of what we commonly understand
as the United States to engage in the
missionary work of the Episcopal church.
The Indian tribe in Alaska to which
Mr.. Chapman is especially sent is locat-
ed along the banks of the great Yukon
river. His present expectation is TO make
Anuil smnll TOWN $50 miles from the